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Christopher Pike
Christopher Pike was a recurring guest character in the original series of Star Trek. A prominent figure in the history of Starfleet, he was the second captain of the original USS Enterprise NCC-1701, preceded by Captain Robert April and later succeeded by James T. Kirk. He was portrayed by both Jeffrey Hunter and Sean Kenney in the TV series and was played by Bruce Greenwood in J.J. Abrams' films. History Star Trek: The Original Series After a long tour as captain of the Enterprise (eleven years, four months, and five days of which were spent with junior science officer Spock as a loyal member of his crew) Pike was promoted to fleet captain in the mid-2260s, at which point James T. Kirk took command. Only a few years thereafter, Pike was aboard a training vessel, an old Class J starship, when a baffle plate ruptured and exposed many helpless trainees and cadets to delta-particle radiation. Pike dragged many cadets from the danger but, in the process, was hopelessly crippled by the rays. The disfigured Pike was put on a form of advanced life support which sustained his withered body and life functions, but he was too weak and incapacitated to ever move or respond to physical stimuli again. A wheelchair that was tuned to his brain could use blinking light signals to respond to simple queries in the affirmative (one flash) or negative (two flashes), but that was the extent to which he could communicate. In 2267, after being contacted by the Talosians, Commander Spock devised a plan to use a fake message in an attempt to divert the Enterprise (of which he was now first officer under Captain James T. Kirk) to Starbase 11, where Pike was hospitalized. Spock's intention was, risking execution if caught, to deliver Pike to Talos IV, where the Talosians could tap Pike's mind with telepathy and illusions, so he would be spared dying helplessly in his lifeless body. Pike, also contacted beforehand by the Talosians, at first refused Spock's plot to spirit him away to Talos IV. However, on the journey to the forbidden planet, images of Pike's earlier experience on Talos IV – presented during Spock's on-board court-martial (a court-martial later revealed to have been concocted by the Talosians) – convinced Pike to accept the Talosians' offer. On Talos IV, with the help of the Talosians, Pike lived out a life of illusion with Vina, in which his devastating handicap no longer existed. Pike went into retirement from Starfleet active duty and lived on Talos IV permanently, with no further outside contact, since the secrecy of the Talosian power made his fate largely unknown. Alternate reality In J.J. Abrams' reboot of the Star Trek franchise, Christopher Pike's destiny is radically different. Like in the prime universe, he precedes Jim Kirk as captain of the Enterprise and is, in fact, the man responsible for convincing Kirk to join Starfleet. However, following his capture and torture at the hands of the psychopathic Romulan Nero, he is forced to relinquish his command of the Enterprise to Kirk earlier than he previously would have in the un-altered timeline. As Kirk takes the captain's chair, Pike is promoted to Admiral and directs fleet movements from Starfleet Headquarters on Earth. In Star Trek Into Darkness, Admiral Pike is ruthlessly murdered along with several other Starfleet brass by Khan Noonien Singh. Khan commandeers a combat jumpship and attacks Starfleet Headquarters in San Fransisco, destroying the admiralty's meeting room and killing most of the attendees, including Pike. Category:TV Characters Category:Uncertain Fate Category:Humans Category:Star Trek Category:Star Trek: The Original Series Category:Heroes Category:Star Trek Into Darkness Category:Murder Victims Category:Alternative Fate Category:Death by Shooting Category:Tragic Deaths